How do you repair a 1989 Chevy S10 door if the lock and opening rods will activate but do not disengage the latch?

Answer 1

I am having the same problem with my 1991 GMC Sonoma. These latches are notorious for sticking. Let me explain how I got the driver door open on mine. All of my connecting rods are broken, so I didnt have to remove them.

1. Remove door panel. 2 screws on the arm rest and then just carefully remove the clips holding the panel on. 2. Remove all rods remembering their orientation. 3. You need to remove the window glass to gain total access to the latch mechanism. There are only two bolts that hold this in. 4. Spray on some lubricant all over the latch. Coat it really well. Let this sit for a few hours. 5. Take the longest flathead screwdriver you can, and carefully locate the latch itself. Gently pry the one open that connects to the door handle. If this didnt work, try and find the part that actually locks onto the striker bolt. That is the culprit. 6. IF this works, reassemble everything in the reverse order.

If you do get this open, lubricate that latch really well once again and clean any gunk off of it to prevent future jams.

With that being said, this did not work on my Sonoma's passenger side door as of yet. But hopefully someone else can chime in to help with this annoying problem.